Month: December 2016

The process for creating a photogram is fairly simple, placing items on photographic paper and then exposing them to light for a number of seconds before developing the image as if it was a print as normal.

With my first test strip it didn’t work as well it was a little bit dark, this was due to the fact that when I had positioned the enlarger I didn’t turn the lens down and this led to overexposure on my first image. I exposed for seven seconds which would have led to the overexposure.

With my second test strip I adjusted the lens keeping it at seven seconds this seemed to have a more positive effect but as I was eager to look at the image I had produced I hadn’t left it long enough to develop and this meant that the image hadn’t processed enough.

My final image was the better one of the three that I had created, I had ordered the objects that I had used (Cotton buds and cotton wool) and exposed it for five seconds after I had decided that seven seconds was too long. I then with suggestion from Daniel instead of placing the image in the developer I ran the developer down the image to give it a more abstract effect, and I didn’t allow it to develop fully. I then processed it and dried it as normal. I really like this effect as a one off piece I don’t think I’ll carry this on further when I carry on developing my photograms for my project.

I stumbled across these images while searching for other photogram artists, I find them to be very interesting and also very abstract, I think that she has cut out images and then layered them on photographic paper to create the most surreal images. I feel Madigan explores the human body within her work and although I have only chosen three examples here to explore I feel that they are very poignant images and show the human form in an artistic way, I chose these because they also related to Floris Neusüss another photogram artist who’s work could potentially inspire what I am hoping to create with further time in the dark room.

Looking at these images I feel that there is an almost more meaning to them it seems to me that she has used the human form in its natural state and then layered nature and I feel that overall that his her theme for these images. Although this isn’t what I want to create for my images I feel that they could inspire the way that I place the items on the paper.

Man Ray was one of the most famous people to create a Photogram and his work as I have selected above is very abstract and almost has no sense to it. But I find this is what attracts me to it most as it seems with these images he has just picked random objects. ‘To create his ‘Rayographs’ Man Ray exposed the paper three times each time adding another layer to the photogram with each exposure the ‘Rayograph’ was created.’

I myself would like to create something similar and I feel that Man Ray could be a large influence on my work in the future. I plan to create a series of photograms using things that I can find in my bag I feel this will allow me to explore the different transparencies of objects a theme that I am hoping to carry on throughout trying to develop them further. I’m also hoping to use every day items that I can pick up from around my house to create unique works like the one above. I feel that by creating work this kind of work I will be developing a deeper understanding of how Ray O Graphs were creating. I have looked at many examples of Man Ray’s work from his images that he has created using dark room items the further I explore his work the more I can understand how he works, there is no specific way that he has placed his items, I feel that with this he is acknowledging Dadaism which he is known for being part of as both operated at the same time.